Interview With an Immigrant

The most (pauses) incredible experience in ma- my life was the flight from Warsaw to New York (pauses) of united states when (pause) I landed in 1986

Q So your flight was your most interesting experience?

A Yes

Q When did you immigrate to America?

A I immigrate in summer time in July 24th 1986, because at that time I can move from Poland as a teacher, just for vacation.

Q What influenced your decision to immigrate to America?

A At that time we still got communism in Poland and as a teacher you, you have to work, you got job, but for that money, you almost can’t buy nothing. Everything was very expensive, (uh) its (uh) your food was (um) hard to buy because you have a limit on everything, what you want to get. And my decision was I was young, and I want to see the world, I want to go out from Poland

Q Who did you travel to America with?

A I traveled by myself just with my two luggage’s. That’s all

Q What did you bring with you on your immigration then?

A (Uh) I just brought clothes, and you have to just get summer clothes because if you have clothes for the winter, they [immigration] probably, make you come back to Poland, because they think you will stay there for longer, so I get just summer clothes. I said I have to stay just for 6 weeks as teacher in the United States

Q Once you got to America where did you go first?

A (uh) first I went to go see my aunt she was, she is living actually now, in Stanford Connecticut, she invite me, and she picked me up from the airport, and find for me the first job. In United States, in Manhattan. I was taking care of the um older um family they both speak polish, they living in Manhattan, and I have to just you know take care of them. Walk them outside, make lunch, dinner. That’s all

Q Were there any struggles you encountered all throughout your immigration, anything, any difficulties, anything like that?

A Somehow, anything, ever, happened bad to me, I really like to be in United States, just at that time I was illegal immigrant, I don’t have any papers. So you have to watch on your back all the time

Q Did you leave anything or anyone that you loved when you immigrated?

A I left my whole family, especially my father, which was very close to me (bottom lip begins to quiver) and I never saw him again in my life.

Q Looking back on your move to America, would you have done anything differently?

A No. I'm pretty happy that I moved. Because my friends in Poland they, didn’t make huge progress in their life. They struggle still as a teachers. So I think my life is much better than theirs.

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